February and March Update

It seems I never got around to updating in February so you get a double update for March!

February we focused on Valentine’s Day (pictures coming soon) and Mardi Gras decor for the upcoming real-life shop as well as the houses. The conversation heart banners, heart curtains, and antiqued wooden heart video is here, and the tissue paper heart wreathes and decorative sticks wreathes video is here.
Lots of green, purple, and gold! King cakes, bead wreathes, hanging masks, and Fleur de Lis centerpieces!

We set up for early spring. March focused more on Saint Patrick’s day, some more Christian-based spring holiday decorations, and doing a deep clean of the dollhouses (still working on the big house, but we’re getting there…). The videos can be found here and here. Quilled hanging clovers, pots-o-gold centerpieces, rainbow cake, antiqued shamrocks, and crosses with Easter, Good Friday, and Palm Sunday drapes.

Some February set up pictures:

Some March Set Up Pictures

BLUEBERRY HOLLOW MINIATURES RAFFLE AND GIVE AWAY!

It has come to my attention that I never did an update for February or a calender change for March, my apologies. Life has been crazy. BUT in spite of all of that, I’m doing my first ever raffle and give-away!

Entries for the prize can be earned by:

– Liking the original Facebook post

– Sharing the original Facebook post

– Commenting on the original Facebook post

– Liking the Instagram post

– Sharing the original Instagram post

– Commenting on the original Instagram post

– Sharing the raffle Instagram story

– Liking a blog post

– Commenting on a blog post

– Commenting on a Blueberry Hollow Miniatures YouTube video

– Engaging in the Super Stream Twitch chat this weekend (each night is a separate entry, thus up to 3 entries!)

– Participate in the Craft To-Do List Challenge Google Doc

“BUT WHAT CAN I WIN?!”
Since this is my first raffle, you can win any items I’ve already made while streaming! Pictures of the lists are below. Feel free to ask for pictures of the items you’re interested in!

The raffle will be pulled this Sunday at 9:30 PM EST during the stream! Presence not required to win.

twitch.tv/blueberryhollowminiatures

https://youtube.com/channel/UCH040d1iVLExNkFCcNCjyDA

www.blueberryhollowminiatures.wordpress.com

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM86hHDg4/

instagram.com/blueberryhollowminiatures/

facebook.com/blueberryhollowminiatures

New Year, New(ish) Me

Blueberry Hollow started way back in 1997 when a little girl decided to take her own whack at a business venture her grandmother had created. From the wonderful, albiet slightly incomplete, world of Blackberry Hollow bears, book, newsletters, and calender spawned a new beloved collection of dollhouses that would span over the course of 20 years. Inspiration lead to innovation and dedication lead to devotion. A new venture.

As of January 2022, Blueberry Hollow Miniatures is OFFICIALLY a business! My expectations are on the realistic side and I’ll definitely have to see where this new adventure takes me, but I am excited to join the community in this way. At current, the goal is to still start selling in November of this year at Philadelphia Miniaturia, so if you are local to the area, please feel free to come check it out! I am also looking at different ways to sell online between conventions. I’m not sure if I’m going to go the Etsy route or something different all together. So, stay posted.

January streams took an entirely new direction as well! Instead of sticking with last year’s theme of foods (specificially vegetables), I’m starting to build up stock of various holiday decorations. I have said this on my stream, but I’ll reiterate it here: I find that the only holidays that are popular amongst the miniature crowd are the MAJOR holidays – and even that, one usually finds Christmas, Easter, or Halloween. It’s time for some of the minor ones to get some attention. While I do have a list that I’m trying to stick to, I’m VERY eagerly taking suggestions. This month I worked on New Year’s Eve and Lunar New Year

New Year’s Eve Part 1 and 2

Lunar New Year Part 1 and 2

I also set up for Valentine’s Day but I’ll post that stream on here next month. In the meanwhile, have some long overdue Christmas pictures:

It seems the Craft To-Do List Challenge is dying off for a little bit, as many of my Challengers haven’t assigned any projects. In lieu of this, I’ve started using a new method – “The Dice of Fate.” Each roll of the dice assigns a new project, and actually, it’s working quite nicely. If you are a Challenger, I still look forward to your assignments when you get a chance to do so.

Dice of Fate and CTDL Projects:

Seasonings Greetings

The whirlwind of December came and went, it seems, but during this month I pushed pretty hard for gaining Twitch Affiliate – the ability to get subscriptions for my channel. Unfortunately, as of 8:55 on December 31st, I have not achieved this, but I am SO close. The hardest part is over – I managed to get 54 followers! That is exciting enough for me! Now, it’s a matter of getting the viewership and the hours. Easy enough.

I made A LOT of herb plants this month, if you couldn’t tell by the title of this entry, all of which I was pretty happy about the results. Buncha pictures below.

The most important thing this season is that I hope you all are well and able to spend time with your loved ones in some way or another, that the holidays are not hectic, and that you find peace and happiness in the new year.

Christmas Set Up Part 1 & Part 2

Garlic

Parsley

Oregano

Lavender

Lemon Verbena

Dill

Chamomile

Thyme

Cilantro

Tarragon

Tools of the Trade & ASK ME ANYTHING

Giving Thanks

I have had a lot to give thanks for this year – the opportunities I’ve had to reconnect with my hobbies, the group of people who have supported me in my upcoming endeavors, my life outside of miniatures, my family, my friends, my house, and my future career. I am ever speechless with gratitude. I hope you all, dear Hollowers, have things to be thankful for as well and I hope the upcoming holidays treat you with love, kindness, and a time to find peace.

This month, I went to the Philadelphia Miniaturia. I met a lot of new vendors and discussed my upcoming desire to sell and give a panel on social media and its importance for the future of miniatures and the need for older vendors to gain new customers.

Shout out to the following people I met and saw! Please check out their Instagram accounts below:
@philadelphiaminiaturia
@tinydollhousenewyorkcity
@sue_veeder
@dollhousejunction
@pandaminiatures
@kcminiaturestudio
@entangled.designs
@theminibeachhouse

I set up for Thanksgiving:

And I made tomatillos, okra, and chili peppers:

No Craft To-Do List Challenge this month, as I had to buckle down for Christmas present making, but hopefully in the new year, I’ll have a little more time for that. If you’d like to join the Hollowers that give me challenges, please privately message me your email address, and I’ll ad you to the Google Doc so that you can push me to get things done! As I say in my videos, “It gives me that little boost of serotonin that I’m getting things done and that I’m getting them done at the behest of someone else. And it gives you the chance to see more of the content you like and gives you whatever you get out of telling someone what to do!”

Other than that, I’m pushing for 50 followers on Twitch with a crazy long super stream over the end of the month! If you know someone who wants to check me out and give me a follow, I’d greatly appreciate it. 50 followers and at least 3 active chatty people in my chat during the stream time that week would be FANTASTIC, as I’ll be able to reach Affiliate – a title that comes along with the ability to gain subscribers and increase my chance of being seen.

As always, thank you for everything this year. I cannot express how much I have enjoyed having you here for the ride.

Spooky Scary Skele-bears

A suspiciously warm and dry October lead way for the most beautiful autumn leaves. ‘Were they more beautiful than years past?’ pondered Millie as she set up her trick-or-treat bags for the evening. ‘Likely not,’ she said smiling and wrinkling her nose, ‘but certainly beautiful in their own way.’

The farm’s plethora of pumpkins and gourds were splendidly cast through the town for all to see. One could carve a butternut squash if they so pleased! Corn stalks lined the lamplight posts and marigolds still presented warm fire-y blooms that rivaled the trees. All the cole crops were perfectly in season.

Mary Emily waved a loving “Hullo!” across The Hollows to her sister, as she brought out her own sweets. She was already in costume – little to nothing would stop her wearing her favorite princess costume all day.

The children of The Hollows and beyond had excited jitters about how many treats they would get, and who wouldn’t be excited at the prospect of homemade goodies – especially the hot dogs given out by Jess at Antiques! It made the perfect on-the-go dinner between houses!

Grateful for the warm day, Ned and Britt at the General Store decided to spice things up with a bobbing-for-apples tank. Little bears wouldn’t have the shivers as they walked the town after a nice, crisp apple.

Yes, The Hollows loved Halloween and eagerly awaited the night’s spooky or sweet festivities.

October seems like years away now that I think about all that’s been going on, so I’m racking my brain to find what I want to write about. Really though, I didn’t spend a lot of time making things. I’ve been focused on school and Christmas presents and other life things, but here’s a few blips of what I did manage to do:

October Set Up

Sweet Potatoes

Turnips

Beets

Orange Peppers assigned in the CTDL Challenge!

Bustling September

A year ago, I finally started building the dream room I had fantasized about from my youth. A place where I could have all of my dollhouses in one space, to set up, like a little town. An area that I could actively and efficiently work on my crafts and creations and be engrossed in me and mine. And a year ago, I thought to start including you, my Hollowers, the people who find odd curiosity at the tiny world I’m presenting to you. And what a year it has been. From early blog posts and unsaved videos of my original house set ups, to working towards starting my own shop and brand. You have been, without a doubt, one of my biggest inspirations and drives. Thank you so much for encouraging me and for coming along for the ride. And so without much more ado or mushy, sappy feelings: Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

A brief insight into my personal life: September has been a very busy month. I started going back to school to work towards a certificate in Horticultural Therapy. On top of a working a full time (plus extra) job, tending a house and gardens, providing for and loving my fiancé and kid, two separate ongoing regular doctors appointments, and the overall busy-bee type of person I am with multitudes of other craft projects you don’t get to see, I’m runnin’ around like crazy.

I was keeping up pretty well with my Craft To-Do List Challenge (jeez, I need an easier name), but recent craziness with studying and, well, everything threw me off my game. My goal is to catch up by October 4th. I hope to have some better scheduling, and now each assignment will be allotted a week’s worth of time to finish.

By request, I did manage to get some “About the Artist” pictures of me, too. Which is great, for those of you who don’t know what I look like.

But enough of that, I’m sure you’re ready for a September update about The Hollows!

As we last left off, the houses were finally getting a break from the heat and the first autumn leaves were starting to turn. Winter squash were being harvested and apple cider was on tap at Antiques Pub. School bells rung and warm shawls and scarves were being brought out of storage for the crisp days to come.

I got a lot of Brassicas (the mustard family) done this month. While I’m not so excited about how the mustard greens turned out, I think I may revamp them to be designed more like the kale. We live and learn, and that’s one of the best parts of creation. Not everything turns out perfect. Everything else, oh yeah, I’m super delighted!

Cauliflower

Collard and Mustard Greens

September Super Stream Part 1, 2, and 3 – Brussels Sprouts and Kale

Change of Date – 9/19/21

Good morning, Hollowers!

As things may have it, my weekend has taken hold of me and I have a lot I have to accomplish today. Unfortunately, that means my usual Sunday Stream will be pushed off until tomorrow.

Sorry again and see you Monday at 7:30!

Thinking to the Future

Dear Hollowers,

Confession Time. One of the things I worried about this year was that I would bore you with my incessant vegetable crafts. Having finally had the opportunity to work on a long abandoned dollhouse, I went full force into it. But perhaps to some fault regarding the interest you may have in my work.

To get to a point without much fuss: I’d like to put it up to a vote for the coming year (you will find that I am constantly thinking about the future). I have a few ideas with what I’d like to do for my streams and crafting, but I’d like your input as to a direction.

I could, perhaps, continue the food theme, as I have plenty to still do. Fruits, meats, fish, cheeses, other goods for the General Store.

I had also thought of doing holiday crafts, as many of my dollhouses do not have the decor I’d love to put in them.

Or furniture? I seem to have a knack for making it, and could certainly stream it. Really, I’m taking any suggestions. Let’s throw things at the wall and see what sticks!

The choice is yours, Hollowers. I’d love to hear your voice and your opinion. You are one of the big reasons I do this and I’d love for you to feel you are a part of this world.

Baylee

A Quick August Update!

Hello Hollowers! The summer heat is in full swing during August in The Hollows and I’m still at it making vegetables (and quickly running out of room in the Farm and General Store).

This month, I incorporated the idea of a To-Do Challenge, which is to say that anyone who wants to can join in on a Google Doc where I keep track of my craft list and can challenge me to get my tasks done. This was supposed to help me in many ways, but most of all has been a fun way to get me to do my work. If you find yourself interested in helping me out, or just want to be a part of the Challenge doc, you can privately message me your email address via the Facebook or Instagram accounts and I’ll be happy to add you.

I finally got out to a Dollhouse Convention hosted by the First State Mini Club this month. A much needed break from making my own things. I bought a couple of tools as well as two brass pieces I’ve been eyeing up for a while now. I got to see a good many familiar faces (albeit half-faces) and received a lovely amount of support for my upcoming plans. Special shout out to M-M-Minis, Ron Stetkewicz, AMiniThing, and Artistic Florals by Arlene Finkelstein!

I’ll be keeping this post short, as I feel September will be have a more detailed description of The Hollows in Fall. As always, pictures below and click on the links for the videos of the streams from the past month.

Delicata and Spaghetti Squash:

Butternut and Banana Squash:

Acorn and Hubbard Squash:

Cabbage:

You can also watch the Early Fall Set-Up! Tis the harvest season as well as the start of school.

Below are the multitude of things I’ve gotten done thanks to the Challenges. Thanks again to everyone who is participating.

P.S. The September calendar is LIIIIIIVE!